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Installation Starts But Fails

The PC-BSD® installer creates a log which keeps a record of all the steps that are completed as well as any errors. When an installation error occurs, the PC-BSD® installer will ask if you would like to generate an error report. If you click "Yes", a pop-up message will ask if you would like to save the error log to a USB stick. Type y and insert a FAT formatted USB thumb drive to copy the log.

While in the installer, you can read this log to see what went wrong. Right-click an area on the desktop outside of the installation window and select "xterm" from the menu. You can read the log with this command:

more /tmp/pc-sysinstall.log

If you can not figure out how to fix the error or believe that you have discovered an installation bug, send the log that was saved on the USB stick using the PC-BSD® Bug Reporting tool.

System Does not Boot Into the Installer

If the installer does not make it to the initial GUI installer screen, try unplugging as many devices as possible, such as webcams, scanners, printers, USB mice and keyboards. If this solves the problem, plug in one piece of hardware at a time, then reboot. This will help you pinpoint which device is causing the problem.

If your computer freezes while probing hardware, and unplugging extra devices does not fix the problem, it is possible that the installation media is corrupt. If the checksum on the file you downloaded is correct, try burning the file again at a lower speed.

If the system freezes and you suspect the video card to be the cause, review your system's BIOS settings. If there is a setting for video memory, set it to its highest value. Also check to see if the BIOS is set to prefer built-in graphics or a non-existent graphics card. On some systems this is determined by the order of the devices listed; in this case, make sure that the preferred device is listed first. If you cannot see your BIOS settings you may need to move a jumper or remove a battery to make it revert to the default of built-in graphics; check your manual or contact your manufacturer for details.

If that change did not help, try rebooting and selecting option "7. Escape to loader prompt" from the boot menu shown in Figure 4.9a.

Figure 4.9a: PC-BSD® Installer Boot Menu

Selecting this option will open the boot loader prompt where you can type the following commands:

unload

disable-module vesaset module_path=/boot/kernel;/boot/modules;CONSOLE

boot

Those commands will disable the vesa splash screen before attempting to boot the installer.

A not uncommon cause for problems is the LBA (Logical Block Addressing) setting in the BIOS. If your PC is not booting up before or after installation, check your BIOS and turn LBA off (do not leave it on automatic).

If the SATA settings in your BIOS are set to "compatibility" mode, try changing this setting to "AHCI". If the system hangs with a BTX error, try turning off AHCI in the BIOS.

USB Keyboard Does not Work in Installer

If the USB keyboard is non-functional, check if there is an option in your BIOS for legacy support in relation to the keyboard or to USB, or both. Enabling this feature in your BIOS may solve this issue.

mountroot prompt

If you boot your system and you receive a mountroot> command prompt, it may be due to a change in the location of the boot device. This can occur when the installation was made on another machine and then transferring the HDD without an adjustment to the /etc/fstab file, or if a card reader is involved (including card readers on a USB dongle). The solution is to enter ufs:/dev/da1 at the prompt (it will always be ufs for the installer media). Depending on the exact location of the boot media, it may be different than da1. Typing ? at the prompt should display available devices.

Getting Help

If none of the above has fixed your problem, search the PC-BSD® forums[1] to see if a solution exists, try a web search, or check the section on Finding Help.